


The Lucky Few

by lovelovingyou



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst, Cliche, Dumb and dumber - Freeform, Felix too, Fluff, I'm sensitive pls, It's Soft, Jisung is like the sun, Kinda, M/M, Minho is like the moon, Not too much, Soulmates, Soulmates AU, Uuf, angsty, i worked on this for two days and it took me like 9 hours, if its rushed, if u see a mistake let me know, im so scared, im so sorry, jisung likes smiling, minho likes that jisung likes smiling, pls be nice, pls leave comments, soft, soulmate-less, stray kids first win, this is my first fic, uwu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 01:33:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18378218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelovingyou/pseuds/lovelovingyou
Summary: The one where fate has you all figure out, or does it?Alternatively; a soulmate au where Jisung doesn't have a soulmate but his favorite thing is still smiling





	The Lucky Few

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO UHHH i don't really know how thi is gonna go. This is the first work I have ever finished. I always started fics but never had the courage or energy to finish them so this will be my first one! I hope you guys enjoy it ;;;;; if there are any errors, please let me know! Also!!!! If you have a better idea for the desc, also let me know ;; I don't know how to ao3.

Jisung was a simple boy.

He was a regular high school student, good grades and an obedient kid. He and his best friend, Felix, spent most of their time together: writing lyrics, singing at karaokes, dancing, playing games and gossiping to each other. They were the two boys people labeled as “sunshines”. Jisung, always cheerfully showing support, kindly helping the people around him. Felix, always making jokes and being friends with everyone he met. If you met these two, you would say the same thing, they were the mood makers of any place.

But Jisung wasn’t normal,

And Felix was.

Not normal in the way of they weren’t weird, because they were. Their strange personality made them so interesting. The issue was, Jisung had no other half. Jisung was soulmateless. Felix, was not, however.

Once everybody is born, they are assigned a series of numbers, permanently drawn on their body. Everybody has a different series of numbers and a different amount. The only people who can have the same number, are soulmates.

Felix hasn’t found his soulmate yet, but he was lucky to be born with a number. 90159022. It’s behind his ear, hidden. He stopped cutting his hair short when people began to bother Jisung about being soulmateless.

“Felix, are you without a soulmate too?”

“Yeah, crazy isn’t it?” Felix would say, tucking his hair further behind his ear, smiling widely.

“Yeah, no wonder you two are friends. You’re the two freaks in the country. Maybe you were meant to be soulmates, but the universe decided you two were too unworthy of your markings.” Haknyeon chuckled, turned on his heal, and left.

Jisung was used to it, people being mean about his situation. He knew he couldn’t escape it. He once got riled up and spat back, “yeah I have a soulmate, my marking is on my ass. Wanna see?” They left him alone after that, but once it spread, he was pantsed in front of the school cafeteria. He cried on his way home that day.  
Everyone knew him, Han Jisung, the freak. He had no soulmate. He wasn’t normal. But Jisung put on a face, he smiled always, cheerfully walking away everytime a new comment flew by. He was used to it. He wasn’t afraid when Felix was next to him. Felix was his best friend, his shield, his shoulder. His Lixie was his.

For now.

Felix has a soulmate, and no matter how much he tried to escape said fact, it was still true. He could lie for years, but in the end, his soul was somebody else’s half.

Jisung always pushed these thoughts to the back of his head. He just wanted to enjoy his best friend right now that he had him. “Lixie?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you still lie about not having a soulmate?” Felix looked up at Jisung from the the bean bag he was lazily sitting on. Jisung was sitting on his bed, staring at nowhere in particular, “people would stop bothering you if you told the truth, you know.” He turned to Felix, making eye contact.

“Sungie, we’ve been through this. Whoever bothers you, has to bother me too,” He then looked down at his hands, “plus, I don’t want to have a soulmate.”

Jisung gasped at this. Felix had his full attention now, “you don’t? Why not?”

Felix sighed, having expected that response from Jisung. He wanted a soulmate so badly, he knew he wouldn’t understand him. “I hate the thought of being tied down to somebody. What if when I meet them, I hate them? What if they’re rude, or a snob? Or worse!” He sat up, pointing to Jisung, “what if they open their Oreos, lick the inside, and eat the cookie after?”

“I do that!”

“Which is exactly why I’m glad we’re not soulmates,” they both burst out laughing at this, “Oreo cookies were made that way to be eaten whole, not in pieces, weirdo.”

Felix suddenly stopped laughing, eyes wide when he realized what he said. “Jisung, i’m sorry, I didn’t mean to call you that.” the room fell silent, but Jisung just smiled at him, “it’s okay Lixie, don’t worry about it.” The room remained quiet for a few seconds, until Jisung decided to break the silence.

“I tried doing more research. I couldn’t find a single book in the library about soulmate-less people. There is so many studies about poly soulmated people, the ones with more than one soulmate, but little to none about the ones with none at all,” he sighed, standing up from his bed and walking towards his book shelf, “it’s like we don’t exist in this world, no one cares about us,” he said, grabbing the only book he was able to find about the unlucky people.

“We aren’t human.” He stared at the book in his hand. “The Unlucky Few” the title read. That title always made Jisung chuckle. The unlucky few. Few. Statistics showed there was only one to two soulmate-less people in each country, maybe three depending on your country size. South Korea was a small country. Very small.

“Jisung that isn’t true. Not to me, or to Jeongin, or Woojin. You’re extremely human to us, the best human! Your presence alone lights up the room, Sungie. You’re very much real, you exist and you are so loved,” Jisung turned to him and smiled, a big smile, showing his slightly crooked teeth. He had worn braces previously, but his teeth were still slightly uneven, Felix said it was cute.

“Thank you Felix, I love you.” He turned back around to face his shelf, setting his book down where it belonged, between a non-fiction and a music theory book. “I love you too, Sungie. Forever and always.” still facing the book shelf, Jisung smiled again, this time, to himself.

He wanted to stay like this with his best friend forever. Forever and always.

-

It was hot, so hot. Summer was approaching, these first few days of June were clear proof. Felix, Woojin and Jeongin were all sitting on the swings, drinking banana milk. Jisung was across from them on the top of a slide, drinking his favorite strawberry milk.

They were all wearing short sleaves and shorts. Jisung and Jeongin both had baseball caps on.

“Why the hell is it so hot, summer hasn’t even officially started yet,” Jeongin complained holding his hand fan close to his face on his left hand, banana milk on his right.

“I mean, it’s not like it’s long before it starts. At least we can go out for ice cream more often now,” Woojin said, fanning himself with his hand.

Jisung chuckled at them, “you guys are complaining but are standing directly under the sun. Y’all got nothing on my slide.” The slide was green, small and going straight down. It had a small cover right at the end of the ladder, which is where Jisung was, covering himself in the shade.

“Who’s stupid idea was it to come to the park in this heat anyway?” Felix asked.

All three boys immediately pointed in his direction, “no one told you guys to listen to me!” They all laughed.

Soon after, they began to walk a bench that sat directly under a tree with shade, on the other side of the park. This time, Jeongin sat on the grass directly in front of them, while Woojin, Felix and Jisung sat on the small bench.

“Hey Sung, have you found any more information about the whole soulmate situation?” Jeongin asked, looking at Jisung. Jisung tensed slightly, and the relaxed right after, smiled at him and said, “no, I haven’t,” he broke eye contact and began to look at the grass next to Jeongin, smile falling the tiniest bit, “but i’m sure i’ll find some more eventually.” He then looked back up at Jeongin, stars in his eyes and a bright smile.

“You know, I’ve been watching some gossip shows,” At this, all three boys turned to the oldest, giving him a strange look, “I thought this was a judge free zone? My mom puts them on in the afternoons and when go to the living room, I watch them with her. They’re more interesting than you think!” He pointed forward, sitting up slightly, getting a little defensive. All three boys giggled at him, “anyway, like I was saying. Lately, more people are leaving their soulmates for other people these days. They were given their mark, assigned somebody, and were still unhappy. You could find somebody unhappy with their soulmate and find your significant other that way!” Woojin smile to his right, where Jisung sat.

Jisung gave him a look, a shocked expression painted on his features, and then he slowly shook his head, “Wooj, I appreciate the encouragement, but I couldn’t do that. Soulmates are meant to be together,” at this, Felix scoffed, but Jisung ignored it and continued, “if someone leaves their soulmate, their fated half, how do I know they won’t leave me, too? It shows inconsistency.”

“I think you’ve been reading too many soulmate books, Sung. My cousin was marked, and he met his soulmate, but he didn’t love her. Not romantically, at least.” Jeongin explained, “he fell in love with his current boyfriend, but he and his soulmate are still best friends. She, too, found somebody else she loves. The people they’re with are also fated, yet, they weren’t in love,” he nodded his head, “it’s possible.”

Jisung began to pout slightly, “I really don’t like this conversation. I don’t want to know I got in the way of fate. I don’t want to be breaking a bond like that. I know I could find somebody who may not love their soulmate, but I still wouldn’t feel comfortable. I just know I wouldn’t.” He knew this all too well.

Because it had already happened. He loved a marked person. Somebody who was already fated, soul shared with somebody else. He felt dirty thinking about it, knowing he loved somebody he wasn’t supposed to. But who was he supposed to love?

“Plus, think about the people that are fated and do love each other? Like Woojin and his boyfriend, Chan. Stuff like that, I don’t want to get in the middle of anything like that..” He said, fidgeting with his hands as he talked.

“I love Channie, I do, but not everyone loves their soulmate Ji, not romantically at least. And you know, that’s okay!” Woojin said.

Jisung just shook his head.

South Korea was such a small country, Jisung is positive he’s the only person the universe made lonely in his country. He had no plans to leave the country again, not after returning from Malaysia. He wanted to study in Korea, graduate in Korea and die in Korea. He might die alone, but he’s already decided that he’s okay with that.

“It’s okay! I don’t really plan on ever being loved anyway. Maybe i’ll fall in love,” he already had, “but I won’t do anything about it. I just want to find out more about unfated people. I want other generations without soulmates to have the peace I needed.”

“Sungie, you know I love you, we all do. Don’t say you plan on not being loved,” Felix grabbed Jisung’s cheek, and forced him to make eye contact, “we love you.”

Jisung’s hand grabbed Felix’s hand on his cheek, and looked at him directly in the eyes and smiled, “you know what I mean, Lixie.”

-

That night, Jisung locked himself in his room. Curtain closed, windows open. The air blew in through the window, moving the curtains. The only noise in his room was the sound of the city outside, the wind moving his curtains, and Jisung’s sobs.

-

Coming out of class, Jisung went to walk to Felix’s class to pick him up. It was lunch time, their favorite time. This was their time together. Jeongin had tutoring during lunch and Woojin was studying at a local university.

During lunch, Jisung and Felix usually took up an empty classroom and chose something fun to do. Whether it was Ms. Choi’s math classroom, they used her computer and blasted music, singing and rapping along to their favorite musicians. Sometimes they went to Mr. Park’s room, it was carpeted, so they liked to dance there.

Jisung reached Felix’s classroom and waved at him from outside. Felix saw him and approached him, “Ms. Choi’s today?” He suggested, a small smile and eyebrow rise on his face. Jisung smirked at him.

 

 

“Sungie, what song do you want to try today? I kinda wanna challenge myself in rap,” he looked up from the big apple monitor, “but I want to try being better with diction instead of speed.”

Jisung thought about it for a bit, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind by Logic came out recently, it’s fairly speedy, but it’s really good for diction,” Jisung suggested, he was a big fan of rap. He often times wrote his own, and this impressed his best friend.

Felix was inspired by Jisung, he looked up to him like he was an artist. This perked up Felix’s self interest in rap, too.

Felix looked up the song while Jisung looked up the lyrics on his phone. “It starts out pretty fast, but I think you can handle it, give it a few listens and just read the lyrics first.” Jisung said, giving Felix his phone that contained the lyrics. It was moments like these where Jisung and Felix were glad they had each other. They were one another’s companions, they were each other’s best friends, fitness trainers, cheerleaders, hype man’s, they were each other’s everything.

They helped each other try harder in the things they loved. They were always there when the other needed it, and they never let the other slack off.

Felix read the words carefully, taking them all in while listening to the song. He had listened to this song already because Jisung sent it to him, but he didn’t really take it in like he is now. The song is powerful, strong, and the diction is definitely great.

“I think I can try now.” Felix said, grabbing the mouse and dragging the youtube time bar to the beginning. He closed his eyes, let out a short exhale, and pressed the spacebar on the keyboard, starting the song. Jisung looked at him with expectant eyes, he knew Felix would be able to do it.

Felix finished the whole song, having only tripped up about 4 times in the beginning and the end, mumbling a few times. “Wait! I wanna try again, I can do better!” Jisung giggled at Felix’s big eyes.

“You can try as many times as you want, Lixie” he said, then turned to the clock, and then back to Felix, “actually I lied, we have like 5 minutes left.”

Felix looked at the big monitor, the youtube screen up, then back to Jisung. “Sungie, can you try? I know you’ll do great and I wanna see,” he paused, “well, hear, you get me.” Jisung gave him a doubtful look, unsure of whether he should or not. Felix stood up from the desk with the monitor and walked over to Jisung, pouting. “Pretty please?” He said with his hands folded together in a begging motion, “pleeeeease?”

“Fine.”

“Yes!” Felix exclaimed, looking at Jisung with big eyes.

Jisung approached the monitor, and pressed the space, starting the song again. He began to rap the song, only looking down at the lyrics a couple of times. He had practiced this song already, Felix could tell. Every word he rapped, he made his own. For a second, Felix forgot this wasn’t a song Jisung had made himself. He was in trance with the way Jisung’s mouth moved, quickly and precisely. He didn’t trip up, not once.

The song ended, and the bell rang. Felix sat there with his mouth agape as Ms. Choi walked back into her room.

“Okay boys, it’s time for class, I’m going to need to ask for my classroom back.” A reading book in hand, probably which she was reading from her lunch break. “Yes Ms. Choi, thank you again for letting us use your room,” Jisung said, smiling at her.

“It’s not problem, I trust you boys.” She returned Jisung’s smile. Felix, on the other hand, was still trying to collect his thoughts about Jisung’s rapping.

“Lixie? Lix,” Jisung kept calling at Felix from the entrance of the classroom, some kids pushing past him to get to class, “Felix!”

Felix shook his head as he broke from his trance, “oh god, Sungie i’m coming, sorry.” He said, rushing next to the older (barely) boy. They walked out of the classroom, and into the hallway to go into their next class, Felix still with the same previous shock.

“Lix, don’t act like you’ve never heard me rap before.” Jisung said to him, the slightest blush showing up on his cheeks.

“It’s not that, it’s just,” he couldn’t think of the right words to describe it, the passion Jisung showed overflowed. The way he got every syllable right, every word, everything about it was amazing.

“Lixie,” Jisung spoke up, blushing a lot more than before, “don’t say things like that, you’re exaggerating” Felix looked at his best friend with wide eyes, not having realized he had really said that out loud. “It’s true regardless of what you say.”

Jisung smiled at him and they continued to quietly walk to class.

They had literature and they were watching a documentary. Felix was sitting to the right of Jisung in a long table desk. Jisung always hated watching documentaries like these in class. Sure, he likes movies and he likes the interesting documentaries, but this? It was a documentary about public speaking, he didn’t need this. He wasn’t planning on ever being a public speaker, it was just a waste of his time.

Jisung laid his head on his hands, closing his eyes. Felix noticed poked him on the side of his stomach with a pencil. Jisung startled awake with a yelp. “Felix, what the hell, that’s my tickle spot!” He said, a little too loud for the quiet classroom.

“Jisung and Felix, are you guys really going to disrupt class again?” Mr. Lee said to them. Jisung looked at his teacher with wide eyes, “I’m so sorry Mr. Lee, it won’t happen again, I promise.” Jisung was surely awake now.

“You said that before, and the time before that, and the time before that. I don’t think the two of you ever learn. I gave you many warnings but this is it. Go to the hall, both of you, and if it ever happens again, you’ll be going directly to the office.” He said, a harsh tone as he pointed towards the door of his classroom.

“Sorry,” Jisung said, standing up and bowing slightly before leaving out the door, Felix quickly got up from his seat, bowed quickly and went after Jisung.

Jisung was sitting with his back against the wall of the hall, arms hugging his knees and his head down. He was shaking slightly. “Sungie? Are you okay?” Felix said, squatting next to Jisung and speaking softly.

Slowly, Jisung brought his head up, and burst out laughing, “oh my God, Lix. You have no idea how much I hate that class.” Felix was laughing now too, “I actually do have an idea, you talk about it all the time.” he then slapped Jisung’s shoulder slightly, “asshole, don’t scare me like that again, I thought you were crying.”

Jisung giggled in a way that sounded like the text-to-speech feature on ‘hehe’, “that was the point, loser”

Felix sat next to Jisung against the wall, this was nice. It was their last class of the day, and they were chilling outside of said class.

“Sungie?” Felix asked without turning to look at Jisung. Jisung turned to Felix, “yeth?” Felix chuckled and rolled his eyes, “you talk like a Twitter account but anyway, I was thinking,” and he should’ve seen this coming, and he did, so at the same time that Jisung said, “you think?!” Felix said “yes, I think.” He smiled. “I know your tricks all too well by now,” his smile faded just a little, “but I was thinking about what Woojin said the other day.”

“No.”

Felix turned to look directly at Jisung, both eyebrows raised, Jisung was still looking forward, “I told you I don’t want to do something like that. If I’m going to fall in love, it’s not going to be to someone who’s soul is shared. It doesn’t matter if they don’t love their soulmate,” he turned to look at Felix, “it just wouldn’t feel right.”

Jisung’s eyes were sad, he understood his own situation a little too well. Felix’s eyes, on the other hand, were getting dark.

“Jisung,” he sat up, turning his whole body towards the brown haired boy this time. “When will you understand not everyone wants a damn soulmate? You were given choices! You get to choose who you want to love! I don’t have a choice! Please realize how lucky you are!” He raised his voice, he had never raised his voice, not at Jisung. Felix’s eyes grew wide as Jisung’s grew teary, “Sungie..”

“No, Lix, I get it,” he smiled, his eyes were so sad, “not everybody wants a soulmate, and I’m so selfish for being unmarked, but wanting a soulmate so badly,” the first tear fell, but he was still smiling, “I’m sorry that I don’t understand you.” Jisung began to push himself off the floor to stand up, “Jisung, I’m so sorry, I never meant to yell at you like that. I want you to find love, I want you to love and be loved. You deserve to be in love.” Jisung was already up, looking down toward Felix, “the universe doesn’t seem to think so, and that’s okay.” He smiled one last time, and then walked to the restroom, probably to cry.

Felix was left alone, sitting against the wall. He knew better than to follow Jisung. He knew Jisung all too well, he needed to let it out, but he hates when others see him upset, so he hides. Felix doesn’t want him to hide anymore. Felix started crying too.

-

After calming himself, Jisung went to the library. He didn’t even go home first, just straight from school, to the library. He didn’t care he was in uniform. He needed to think about something, anything, other than Felix. He wanted to continue working on his research, too.

Once he reached the library, he took out his book; The Unlucky Few.

He had his phone next to him, ready to take note of anything he missed. He had only found the book recently, he hadn’t made time to finish it. 

It went over some of the science behind soulmates, the theories and had opinions. The book was a bit outdated.. 1985 to be exact. There was somebody long before, fifteen years before him, who was also trying to figure out the reasoning behind the unmarked few. He was sure the author was dead now, for they stated they spent their whole life, now being old, trying to find the same question Jisung had, why?

Jisung hopes they’re still alive. The book is in Korean, meaning they must be from Korea. The thought of being the only unmarked person in his country makes him feel lonely. Jisung wants to say thank you, their sacrifice to find an answer won’t go in vain.

He continued reading his book, writing down certain parts that he thought he might need or research further. He was about to pick up his phone to write a new note when he heard a chuckle.

He looked up to see a thin boy with caramel brown hair, parted slightly, exposing his forehead. A small hoop earring on his right ear, wearing a black shirt with red stripes tucked into his slightly ripped jeans. A few necklaces resting on his neck.

Jisung is sure if the stranger hadn’t begun speaking, he would’ve kept staring, possibly even drooling. “You care about soulmateless people.” the stranger scoffed, smiling bitterly.

Of course, the pretty boy in front of him had to have a soulmate. He was just here to bother Jisung, just like everyone else.

Jisung didn’t say anything, just stared at him. The pretty boy’s features softened, “wait.. You actually care..” He said, genuine shock tainting his voice.

Jisung didn’t know what to say, he was scared he would say the wrong thing. He continued to stare at the boy in front of him and nodded very slowly.

“Why?”

He hated this question. Why? Why do you care about those people? The ones who are unlucky? They don’t matter, you’re just wasting your time. They were a mistake caused by the universe. The universe made them lonely for a reason. There was even rumors that said unmarked people were unmarked because they were born to be criminals. Jisung called bullshit.

The one he hated the most was: Why are you unmarked?

He always gets asked this question, the why question, and he never knows how to answer it. Felix usually answers it for him.

Felix.

“I don’t have a soulmate.” He said, whispering it to himself. He’s not sure if the stranger caught it, he’s not staring at the pretty stranger anymore. Instead, he began to look down at his book.

It got really quiet, and he’s sure the stranger left. People are afraid of Jisung, the boy without the mark, the boy wh-

All his thoughts were startled when the stranger sat next to him, looking directly at Jisung. The strangers eyes were dark, he looked angry. “You’re fucked up. You take things like these too lightly,” he set his left arm on top of the chair he was sitting on, “don’t joke about things like that kid, you could find someone without a soulmate and get your ass beat for joking.”

Jisung was speechless. Was he being lectured for ‘lying’ about having no mark? Who the hell would lie about something like that. He turned his body to look at the boy directly forward, “what the hell makes you think I’m joking? Hell, who would joke about something like that? I _am_ the unlucky few. I _am_ the only person in the country left unmarked,” he made sure to lower his voice on the last park, he didn’t want to bring attention. They were already being a little too loud for a library, “I would never lie about that. I just want to know why.” His voice broke on the last part.

The pretty boy was looking at him with pain in his eyes, there was shock, too. He probably didn’t mean to upset the only soulmate-less person in his country. “What’s your name? I’m Minho.” He said, reaching his hand out to Jisung.

“Why aren’t you running away? People tend to run away when they find out i’m unmarked, or beat me up.” He said, sadly smiling at the stranger. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was really glad the other boy chose to stay. “I’m Jisung.” he took his hand and began to shake it.

“I’m unmarked too, Jisung.” The stranger said, smiling a bit. Jisung flinched and dropped Minho’s hand.

“Stop. You can’t do that,” his eyes were beginning to fill up with tears, “you can’t get mad at me for lying when I wasn’t, and then lie yourself.” Minho looked at him, his eyebrows arched upward, he was worried.

_He’s lying, he’s lying, he’s lying._

_The pretty stranger is lying._

“YOU’RE LYING!” Jisung yelled, tears spilling from both of his eyes.

“Okay, that’s enough. I’m going to need you to pack your things and leave, take your friend, too.” The librarian stood, pointing at their stuff on the desk, completely dismissing the crying Jisung in front of her. “You two are being too loud, people are complaining now”

“Are all old people blind? Can’t you see the situation going on?" People were turning to look at them now, "the kid is crying, get the stick out of your ass,” Minho said, the older woman in front of him with wide eyes and an open mouth. As she was about to speak, he continues, “don’t worry, woman, we’re leaving. Jisung, get up, i’ll grab your stuff.” Jisung nodded and stood up. Minho began to gather his things, in the back, Minho heard Jisung voice let out a small “I’m so sorry.” To the librarian.

“I never want to see either of you two in here again. I know your faces.”

“you won’t be seeing us again.” Minho scoffed, grabbed Jisung’s arm and dragged him out of the library, the boy shaking a bit and tears still falling.

They walked out of the library some distance, until they found a bus stop bench. Jisung hadn’t even realized it was already dark out, the moon and stars shining brightly outside. It was summer, and it was dark. He must have been in the library a lot longer than he initially planned.

They sat there, in their silence. Jisung wasn’t crying anymore, just sniffling a bit. He had stopped shaking as well.

“I’m sorry.”

Jisung looked up at Minho, darkness of the sky alongside the post lamp next to the bench illuminated his features. He was glowing, and Jisung thought he looked beautiful.

“I didn’t think it would hurt you so much to hear that.” Minho continued, looking up at night sky.

“It’s okay, just please don’t joke about that again.” He turned his head upward to look at the sky too. It was calming.

“Jisung,” he saw Minho turn to him from the side. He turned too, making eye contact with the other. “I wasn’t lying.”

Jisung’s eyes went wide, he continued to stare, he couldn’t look away. He wasn’t lying. Minho, this stranger, is unmarked. Jisung wasn’t the only one.

“Oh my God.” Jisung breathed out. “This whole time, I thought I was the only one. The only one in Korea, I never thought,” he broke eye contact to look past Minho.

“I thought I was the only one too. I thought you were reading that book to make fun of me. The people like me,” he chuckled, “but when I saw your expression. You were serious.” He sighed. “You said it, you said it to me, a stranger. I was always ashamed to say it.”

Jisung began to fidget with his hands. He was ashamed too, he didn’t want to be unmarked. If he was going to be unmarked, he at least wanted an answer as to why. Why him?

He looked back up a Minho, made eye contact, and smiled widely. His eyes crinkled up, and he began to laugh.

His laugh echoed through the quiet street. The people walking by must have thought he was drunk, or crazy. He thinks it’s the latter.

Minho looked at him, confusion written all over his face, “why are you laughing?” Jisung continued to laugh, through his laughter he said, “I’m happy!” And he continued to laugh. “You know, Minho, I always felt alone,” he chuckled a little, still smiling widely, “knowing I’m not entirely alone, I feel happy, Minho, i’m happy!”

Minho scoffed, but it wasn’t mean. A scoff mixed with a chuckle, Minho was confused.

“You’re weird, Jisung”

Jisung turned and smiled at Minho next to him, laughing slightly.

Minho was happy too.

-

It’s been two weeks. Jisung and Felix haven’t talked since the incident which was on that one Friday. This is the longest they have gone without talking since middle school, when Jisung took Felix’s favorite pokemon card without asking. 

He misses him.

He wants to tell him about Minho. He wants to tell him how pretty he is, how nice he is, about the library incident, about how he's now banned and has to find a new one.

Most of all, he wants to tell his best friend; he’s not the only one.

He wants to tell him before he tells Woojin or Jeongin. Felix is the most important to him. Not that his other friends aren’t important, they just, aren’t Felix.

But Jisung is too afraid to make the first move. Too scared to text him, or call him, or knock on his door. So when his phone rings, he swears he’s never moved faster. He grabbed his phone from his desk, hoping it be a text from Felix.

He got lucky.

_from: yongbok-ie ♡_

_Jisung, meet me at the park at 6:30._

**_To: yongbok-ie ♡_ **

_Okay ill be there_

So he did. He went to the park, thinking about everything, Felix, Woojin, Jeongin. He hadn’t seen them in a while either. He’s been eating alone at school. Summer break is this starts after this week. He’s excited to see his friends a lot more. He thinks about Minho. He wants to see him again. Thank him, stare at him a little more. For a long time, he thought Felix was the only boy with stars in his eyes (and cheeks), but Minho has them too. Minho’s eyes are a sadder than Felix’s, Jisung wants to fix that. Make his starry eyes joyful.

With all the thinking he was doing, the walk to the park seemed extremely quick. He was here now, and he’s scared to face Felix.

He sees Felix on the same swing he sat on the last time they were here together. It’s hot again, Felix never learns.

He takes a seat next to Felix, but he doesn’t turn around. His feet on the tippy top as they hover on the space between the swing and the ground. Jisung wanted to speak, but he didn’t know what to say. He just turns to Felix.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

The atmosphere was very tense, the air was thick and uncomfortable. Jisung started to feel like he was suffocating, but he was outside, wearing short sleeves, short pants and a cap. He was sweating furiously although his walk here didn’t make him sweat. Felix’s quiet is making him nervous.

It continued to be quiet, but Jisung didn’t like it. He turned to Felix, smiled half way and asked, “what did you want to tell me?”

Felix hadn’t looked at him. Not once, since he got here. He can tell Felix wants to tell him something. Whether he wants to apologize or say something else, he’s not sure. All he knows is he’s starting to feel a little invisible.

“You know how Jeongin has two soulmates?” Felix started.

Jisung’s eyebrows shot up. He knew this about Jeongin, but he didn’t expect this to be the conversation starter. Jeongin hated being poly mated. He told the boys to never bring it up, and that he hoped to never meet them. It was a sensitive topic, everybody chose to just stay away from it.

“Yeah.”

“He met them, both at once last week.” He still wasn’t looking at Jisung, so he couldn’t have seen the way Jisung’s eyes went wide. Even through this, Jisung knew Felix could feel his shock.

“Oh my God! That’s great!” Jisung exclaimed, smiling wide. Was he upset that he wasn’t informed? Of course he was. He knew his friends tip toed around him when it came to soulmates, thinking he would break.

And maybe he would, but he wanted to know his friend’s lives. He wanted to know.

“Yeah, it is.” Felix chuckled. The first emotion he had shown since Jisung had gotten here. The sun was shining brightly upon them, the heat consuming them. There was slight wind that kept them cool and caused the trees to move. The sound calmed Jisung.

“When he found out about them, he was afraid. They were a couple already, he felt like he was splitting them up. He really wasn’t, though,” he breathed in and then out, “they said they had been waiting for the third. He felt loved. He also felt bad for hating the idea of hating a poly soulmate situation, knowing it’s normal.” He was smiling. Not the type of smile that reached his eyes, but he was smiling, just a little.

“I’m really happy for him! I’m glad he was able to find that peace. I know how much he hated the idea of two soulmates,” Jisung said. He had his own opinions about poly-mated people. He felt like it was unfair. Three or more people are brought together by fate, yet he couldn’t even get one. Regardless, he was happy for Jeongin. “What are their names?”

Felix still wasn’t looking at him, “Hyunjin and Changbin. He says they’re really sweet and he wants us all to meet them.”

“Me too?”

Felix finally turned to look at Jisung. His eyes still held stars, even when the sun is up. The difference was, the stars were extra glossy. Felix was tearing up.

“Jisung, I’m so sorry. I know I hurt you when I screamed at you,” a single tear came down the side of his cheek, “I never meant to do that. That’s why Jeongin didn’t go to you,” another tear, “he didn’t want to bother you. I just got so sensitive. The idea of soulmates is so scary to me, I don’t want one. Loving a soulmate means I have to stop,” he choked up and didn’t continue. He was sobbing now.

Jisung grabbed Felix’s head, bringing it to his chest in an awkward hug between the two swings, “Stop what?”

Felix’s head was on Jisung’s chest, full force sobs coming from the other boys mouth.

“I have to stop loving you”

Jisung hugged him tighter, “no you don’t, Lixie. No matter who you date, who you fall in love with, I will always love you. We’re dumb and dumber remember?” Jisung was smiling to himself, but he knew it wasn’t real.

“Jisung,” Felix lifted his head from Jisung’s chest to face him, his cheeks were stained with tears and his eyes irritated.

“I am in love, with you.”

Jisung froze.

Felix loved him. No, Felix loved him _back_. Jisung has been in love with Felix since the day he set eyes on the boy. He loved the way his freckles sprinkled his face. His starry eyes. His beautiful toothy smile. He loved everything about the boy. His passion, his personality, his name. He loved him.

But he couldn’t love him.

Felix was fated. He was tied. Jisung wanted Felix to fall in love with his soulmate. Jisung talked about not wanting to love a soulmate, but Jisung wanted him to. Jisung wanted his best friend to have what he couldn’t.

He promised himself he was never going to let Felix know about his feelings.

So he didn’t.

“I’m so sorry,” now Jisung was crying. “Lixie, I’m so sorry, but I don’t love you like that.” A lie. A damn lie.

Felix smiled at him this time, “It’s okay, I had it coming. You want me to be with my soulmate, I get it. I won’t force you to love me,” his eyes were still irritated and cheeks still wet, but he continued, “but you will always be my first love. If I have to love you by simply being your best friend, I will. I refuse to fall in love with anybody that isn’t you, Han Jisung.” He smiled. A bright, Jisung-like smile.

“I may not be in love with you, but I still love you. If you ever meet your soulmate, promise me you won’t hide it from me because of this.” Jisung said, sniffling. Felix held out his pinkie finger, as did Jisung. They interlocked their pinkie fingers.

“Promise.”

-

Nothing changed. Jisung continued to be Felix’s best friend and vise versa. Only difference is that Jisung was now aware of his best friend’s love. He loved him too, but he had to move on. He wanted Felix to fall in love with his soulmate.

Call him old fashioned, he didn’t hate people who didn’t love their soulmates, but he wanted Felix to. It was more of a selfish desire for Felix to live what he couldn’t. He was afraid Felix would stay in love with him. He didn’t want to put him or his soulmate through that.

It was the last day of school now, and summers are always eventful with their friends and them. He hopes he gets to meet Jeongin’s soulmates this summer. He wants his best friends back.

The only thing he can’t figure out, is how to tell Felix about the pretty boy who was also left forgotten. He planned to tell him soon, but he was afraid. How would he approach it? He probably was never going to meet Minho again, anyway.

Then why couldn’t he stop thinking about him? The pretty stars in his sad eyes. The way he snapped at the librarian, that still made him laugh. He misses a stranger, a stranger he’s never going to meet again. He guesses it’s because now he knows he’s out there. Another one without a shared soul. He feels less lonely, but knowing he won’t meet him again, it makes him feel lonely all over again.

“Alright class, that’s it for today. Enjoy your summer break!” The teacher exclaimed, putting his arms up.

“Sungie, you wanna go out for ice cream?” Felix poked Jisung’s cheek, “It’s the first day of summer! We can get Jeongin and go pick up Woojin and all go get ice cream! It’s on me.” He smiled, that stupid smile of his that Jisung couldn’t ignore.

“Okay, let’s go find Jeongin.” Jisung smiled back.

-

Woojin was with his boyfriend, Chan, when they went to pick him up. They had met Chan many times before. He was really friendly, really sweet, and all the boys got along with him. That’s how all four boys got caught up in at the ice cream place that afternoon.

“Alright, what flavors is everyone going to want?” Felix called out, getting his wallet ready.

“Only pay you and Ji’s ice cream, Lix. You’re paying too much to pay for all of us.” Jeongin said, looking at him. “But I invited you guys! I’ll only lose like 15 bucks, I can gain it all back, don’t worry.”

“I think all of us have money, though.” Woojin said.

“I don’t.” Jisung said, quietly.

“My point exactly, Lix, only pay of you and Ji.” Jeongin said, smirking at him knowing he won.

Felix rolled his eyes, “fine. Chocolate?” He asked, turning to Jisung who nodded.

 

They sat at a booth near the corner with a booth and two chairs. “So you like to write music too?” Chan asked, looking at Jisung. Jisung nodded while licking his ice cream, “I love writing and I’ve began to produce too. I like rapping over singing but I like both,” he said, “what about you?”

“I lean more towards singing, but I really like producing. Would you like to make a song together sometimes?” At this, Jisung smiled widely. Felix smiled next to him as well. “Yes! I would love that!”

“Changbin really likes to do music too. He raps too!” Jeongin said. He’s been talking more openly about Hyunjin and Changbin now. They have all scheduled to meet sometimes this summer.

“Then I would definitely would like to get to know him and get him in on a project sometime!” Chan said, happily. Woojin smiled next to him, “he’s really good at producing. You know that song I sang a few months ago?” They all nodded. “We’re working on a studio version, and so far, it’s coming along so nicely. All thanks to Channie.” And he kissed his cheek.

“Eugh, get a room.” Felix said, and they all burst out laughing.

They were happy. This is happy. Woojin, Jeongin, Felix, Chan, happy. He was happy.

He was licking his ice cream while laughing with his friends, when he saw it. He saw him. From where he was sitting, the window across showed a boy with caramel brown hair and a bomber jacket walking into the ice cream shop. Minho.

“Oh my God,” Jisung whispered. All the boys turned to Jisung, who lowered his head, trying to make himself as small as possible.  
Jisung loves Felix. Jisung is in love with Felix. Then why can’t he stop feeling these butterflies when he thinks of Minho? Why has he been dreaming of Minho ever since that day? He doesn’t want to fall in love with someone else. But he can’t help but feel himself blush when he sees Minho. He’s met him once, but he keeps thinking about seeing him again. Then why is he hiding?

He peaks to see Minho, but he was too slow.

“Jisung?”

Jisung slowly lifts his head, smiling at Minho. He can feel all his friends staring at him, then at Minho, then at him. Felix too.

“H-Hey! Minho,” he says, his voice sounding more nervous than it ever has before. “What brings you here?”

“Well,” he still hasn’t broken eye contact with Jisung, “it’s a hot summer day, I have no friends and I wanted some ice cream. I see you’re here with your friends.” He finally breaks eye contact to take a look at the friend group, who are all staring at him very intensely. If Minho notices, he ignores it.

“Oh, ha, yeah,” Jisung says, mentally slapping himself for being so awkward, “that makes sense.” He looked away, licking his ice cream.

“Yeah, well,” he was about to turn around to go order his ice cream, but turned back around, “oh! By the way, I forgot to ask you for number.”

This made Jisung and Felix both choke. Both looking up at Minho. “Oh, uhm. I’ll give it once you order your ice cream,” he says, “the line is getting long. I’ll meet you outside one you got it.” Minho just nods and walks to the back of the line.

“Who was that?” Chan asks him. Eyes curious. “Yeah Jisung, who was that?” Woojin asks, moving his eyebrows suggestively. Jisung is afraid to look at Felix.

“He’s just a, uh, friend. I met him at the library like three weeks or so ago.” He said, avoiding eye contact with everyone and eating his ice cream. “He’s hot.” Jeongin commented, to which Jisung choked again.

“Ha, ha, I guess he’s okay.” That’s a lie, he knows he’s beautiful. Minho is incredibly stunning, honey colored hair, pretty brown eyes, and today he noticed his pretty lips. Yeah, he likes those.

“Okay? Dude, he could be a model. He has a nice body and a nice face, even a nice voice. I don’t believe him when he says he has no friends.” Chan said, turning around to give another glance at Minho.

“Can we stop talking about this kid? I, for one, think he’s ugly.” Felix said, and Jisung knew he didn’t mean it. “Lix, don’t be like that.” Jisung said to Felix, turning to face him. “What, do you like him?” Felix said, turning to Jisung, a shocked look on his face.

“Jisung!” Minho called out, pointing at his ice cream and nodding his head to the door. “I’ll be right back, Lixie, I’ll talk to you when we get home.” He then got up and left, feeling everybody’s stare burning at his back.

When they reached the outside of the ice cream place, Minho pulled out his phone and gave it to Jisung, who quietly punched his number into a new contact.

“Your friend likes you.”

Jisung looked at him, eyes wide. How did he know? “It’s the way he looks at you, and then the way he looked at me,” Minho said, voice calm and monotone.

“You didn’t tell him you met another “unlucky one” did you?” Minho said, taking his phone from Jisung’s hands, frozen in place.

“I wanted to, but then he confessed. I told him I didn’t return the feelings and I,” he sighed, “I don’t want to hurt him. He’s my best friend.”

Minho smiled, those smiles he does. A smirk smile, a tiny scoff too. Like he tried to understand but found it stupid, “you know, I think you’re hurting him more by waiting so long to tell him. We met what? Three weeks ago? And you didn’t even tell him,” he said, voice calm the whole time, “think about how he feels that you met somebody as hot as me, and didn’t inform him. If I was your best friend, I’d be mad too.” He laughed.

Jisung laughed too. “Get off your high horse, he said you were ugly.” Jisung smiled and then stuck out his tongue at Minho, who did a fake gasp and dramatically put his hand over his heart. They were both giggling and laughing now, when they hear the bell on top of the entrance sound. It was so quick, Felix storming out, throwing his half finished ice cream in the trash, pushing past Minho and Jisung, walking away.

Jisung quickly turned his head to where Felix was heading, then back to Minho, his eyes wide. Minho did a slight smile and pushed his hand in a ‘go’ motion. “Go after him. We can talk later.” Jisung nodded and started running to where Felix was.

“Lix! Felix!” He said, panting as he caught up to the slightly taller boy. “What?” Felix said, tone cold and fierce. They were standing next to a brick wall on a street. “Listen to me! You can’t get angry at me for having a friend.” Felix scoffed.

“You think that’s why I’m mad? He likes you, Jisung! You should’ve at least told me you met somebody.” He said, letting out a huff and pouting. Felix couldn’t look intimidating even if he tried.

“Felix, I wanted to tell you at the park earlier this week, but you said.. That,” Jisung took a deep breath in and then out, “I didn’t know how to bring it up to you.”

“What, that you’re leaving me? That you couldn’t love me because you love somebody else already? Listen Jisung! I want you to love and be loved but you should at least tell m-”

“Minho is unmarked!”

Silence. The only thing to be heard were the cars passing by, the tree leaves moving and some people talking in the distance.

“He is?” Felix asked, features softening. “Yes. I met him while doing research, he’s unmarked too. I wanted to tell you everything, but I didn’t know when or how.”

Felix’s face softened and he pulled Jisung in for a hug. “I’m so sorry Sungie. I’ve been having to apologize too often these days,” he said, squeezing tighter. “I’ve been on the edge, and i’ve been pushing you away. I’m so sorry, Sungie. Forgive me.” Jisung pulled back and looked at Felix directly, “I won’t ever leave you. I said it before so I’ll say it again, we’re dumb and dumber. We’re that duo, okay? Forever and always.” They hugged again and began to walk home. On their walk home, Jisung told Felix everything. How he went to the library the day of the fight, how that’s where he met Minho. About the crying, the mean old lady, the mean young Minho, the bench, the stars that illuminated Minho’s face. He didn’t leave a detail out.

“So you like him?” Felix asked, looking up at Jisung curiously. Did Jisung like him? He didn’t know him that well, but he knew he wanted to know him better, he wanted to see if he maybe did have a chance at love.

“I don’t know,” Jisung said, staring at Felix. They were sitting on Felix’s front porch together, talking, enjoying each other. Jisung missed this.

“Sungie, don’t feel bad because of what I told you,” Felix grabbed Jisung’s arm softly, “I’m happy as long as you’re happy. You want your chance at love, and you don’t want to love someone that’s marked, then love him.” Felix said, smiling. The stars in his eyes were burning out, but there was still a spark in there. Felix was still glowing.

“Felix, can you promise me something?” Jisung said, grabbing Felix’s hands. Felix nodded. “When you meet your soulmate, try to fall in love with them.” Felix stared at him, his lips slightly parted, “even if you say you can’t or won’t. I’m okay with being your first love, but I don’t want to be your last. You deserve to love and be loved too, Lixie.” Felix looked down at their hands, then back up at Jisung.

“I’ll try. I’ll promise I’ll try.” Then they locked pinkies, sealing a promise they knew meant a lot.

-

Over the next few days, Minho and Jisung were texting a lot. Sending each other stupid memes they found on the internet, sending selfies from bad angles, just altogether getting a little comfortable. They hung out a couple of times too.

Jisung found out that Minho has two cats, he likes to dance and he wraps his clothes in bundles. Minho found out Jisung likes to rap, he used to live in Malaysia and he speaks proficient english. Jisung was slowly realizing, that yeah, maybe he did deserve a shot at love.

_From: minmin_

_Can you go out? I wanna hang out, i’m the mood to see you._

That text alone made Jisung’s heart flutter and jump everywhere around his chest.

**_To: minmin_ **

_Yea! I’ll meet you outside ;D_

Jisung put on some sweats, a hoodie and put his shoes on and quickly made it outside. “Hey!” He waved Minho over, smiling big with his teeth showing. “Hello,” Minho replied, smiling back just a little.

It was about 7:46 pm, so the sun had set and it was a little chilly. Extremely hot in the day and then cold at night, the weather made half their friends sick. They survived, at least.

“Was there any particular reason you wanted to see me?” He asks Minho, looking at him with eyes, expectant.

“No.” Minho said, monotone as he does.

Jisung smile didn’t fall though, he just nodded.

“Actually,” Jisung turned to look at him. They were walking on the sidewalk of Jisung’s neighborhood. Minho drove here, but they seemed to both like walks the best. “Why are you trying so hard to find an answer to the whole soulmate thing?” He said, looking back at Jisung.

At this, Jisung smiled even bigger in return, “I don’t know, it’s interesting. It would be nice to know why I was made lonely you know,” he was still smiling, but not as big as previously. Minho remained expressionless, “It feels really great when I find something that could lead me to the right answer, you know? Maybe I’ll never find out why I was made this way, but it doesn’t hurt to try.” Jisung was looking forward, smiling just a bit, though it wasn’t a very happy topic. He could feel Minho looking at him from the side. He then turned to Minho, who turned to look forward quickly.

“Don’t you want answers?” He asked back. Minho shrugged and shook his head. “I gave up a few years ago. If the universe thought I was made to love, they would’ve given me a mark.”

“So you’re saying I wasn’t made to love?” Jisung said, pouting out.

“No! No that’s not what I mean!” He turned to look at him, eyes wide and shaking his hands in front of him. Jisung just burst out laughing.

“Why are you laughing? Oh my God you’re crazy.” Jisung just laughed harder.

“Everything you say about yourself, you’re saying it about me, too.” he said, getting a bit serious. Minho looked down and frowned, he hadn’t really thought about it that way.

“But I know what you mean. I didn’t let myself be in love for a long time because I felt like I wasn’t made for it.” He sighed, “But seeing things now, I don’t think I can continue thinking like that, it isn’t fair to me.” He said, smiling at Minho again.

“So you were in love before?” Minho asked, going back to his slightly expressionless face, but Jisung saw the small layer of curiosity his eyes had.

“Yeah,” he said, looking down and fidgeting with his hands. “You fidget with your hands a lot, you did it the day we were at the bench, too.” Jisung looked up quickly and put his hands behind his back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He laughed. “Felix?” Jisung stopped laughing. He turned to look at Minho, who was staring down at the ground, “the one you loved was Felix, right?” He looked up at Jisung.

In all the times he and Minho have hung out, he has never seen Minho look like this. He looks so small. His eyes questioning him, his head slightly down. Minho may be taller than Jisung, but he felt like he was looking down at him.

“Yes, it was.” Jisung admits. “I loved him, and he loves me, but I couldn't do it. He’s meant to have somebody else. I want him to fall in love, the right way.”

“I think you should’ve let him love you. I think he would’ve been good at it.” He looked at Jisung and smiled, but it wasn't real. Minho doesn’t smile often, but Jisung can tell, the times he does, when they’re genuine. He wanted to make him smile more often.

“Bu-” In that moment, Jisung’s phone buzzed.

_from: yongbok-ie ♡_

_SUNGIE_  
_OFHDGKJL_  
_JISUGN_  
_JDKSLFJ_  
_I MET HMSK_  
_I SMET HIM_  
_I MER HIM_  
_SUOUJLTE_  
_COM EOVER RIGHT NOW_

Oh my God. Felix met his soulmate.

Jisung smiled at his phone, then up to Minho, “but he won’t love me anymore.”

Minho looked at him, confused. As he was about to say something, Jisung spoke up, “Felix just met his soulmate,” he smiled, but Minho couldn’t tell if it was real or not. A lot of Jisung’s smile’s are often fabricated. “I’m going to his house! Sorry Min! I’ll talk to you another time! I’ll text you and tell you what happened!” As he spoke, he began to jump in the opposite direction, then ran. Leaving Minho in the neighborhood in the chilly night, confused.

Regardless of the situation, Minho was smiling.

-

“YOU MET YOUR SOULMATE OH MY GOD!”

“SUNGIE OH MY GOD”

“HOW IS HE, WHO IS HE, WHAT’S HIS NAME, HOW DID YOU MEET HIM!?!”

They were in Felix’s room, both sitting on the floor with a bowl of snacks in between that Felix’s mom prepared him.

“Okay! So it happened like 30 minutes ago and Oh my God, Jisung. He’s so cute!” Felix was smiling, really really widely. He looked really happy. That made Jisung really happy. “I went to the convenience store because I was craving chips, so I went, grabbed a bag, and went to pay. This cute boy was behind the counter, his name tag said “Seungmin” and I was like, oooh okay I see you,” they laughed, “and so I started to pay and then the back of my ear started to itch,” Jisung gasps, “wait, wait! I’m not done. So my ear was itchy, just a little, but as the payment continues, it starts to itch so much more. By the time he was giving me my change, I was scared I was ripping skin from my ear, that’s when I see him doing the same with his finger. He caught me staring, and that’s when he realized I was itching the back of my ear.”

Jisung was smiling widely as Felix continues to tell the story, Felix was smiling big too, excited as he told it, “I look at his finger and guess what I see! I saw 90159022 on his finger! Sungie, the gasp I let out,” they laugh, “I then turned my head and moved my hair so that he could see my marking.” Felix let out a big breath, and smiled brightly at Jisung, “I got his number and we’re having our first date next week!” Jisung smiled widely, “Lixie! I’m so happy for you!”

And he spent the night. They ate snacks, played games, and then went to bed. Jisung laying with his back towards Felix. He could hear Felix’s breathe going in and out. Lixie. His Lixie. He wasn’t his Lixie anymore. He knew it would come some day, he knew it was gonna happen, but it hurts regardless.

As he’s about to start crying, his phone buzzes. He grabs it, the bright light of his phone hurting his eyes in the dark.

_From: minmin_

_Liarrrrr_  
_You said you would text me the deets, you never did ):_

He smiled to himself.

**_To: minmin_ **

_Sorry ;-; i forgot!_

_From: minmin_

_Sorry, did i wake u up?_

**_To: minmin_ **

_Nah, i wasn’t going to sleep, not yet._  
_His name is seungmin_  
_Felix seems happy_  
_;D_

_From: minmin_

_And you?_  
_How are you?_

Jisung stared at the message, not knowing how to reply

_From: minmin_

_You deserve to be happy too, sung_  
_Goodnight (:_

Minho was right, Jisung deserved to be happy too. And for the first time that night, he smiled to himself, a very real smile.

-

They were all beginning to hang out as a group, they met Hyunjin and Changbin. They met Seungmin, too. Chan and Changbin made plans with Jisung to make a song, they were all very excited about that.

Jisung had never invited Minho to hang out with his friends yet.

“You should invite him, you know?” Felix suggested. “I know, I just don’t want to bother him.”

“Bullshit, Jisung. You’re scared we’re gonna embarrass you in front of him.” Jeongin said, smiling. Everybody burst out laughing and Jisung blushed at the comment.

“We won’t do anything too far, we just wanna meet your boyfriend!” Woojin said, smiling at him innocently. “We’re not dating!” He defended.

“Yet,” Hyunjin suggested, laughing. “Jeongin, Changbin, take your boyfriend away, I don’t like him.” They all laughed again.

They’ve been laughing a lot more these days. Everybody seems to be in a more comfortable atmosphere. Jisung is glad, he wants everybody happy.

He needs to be happy too, though.

You know what? Maybe he should invite Minho

-

“Hey Min,” he looked up at Minho who was playing with his hair. They’ve gotten very close these days. Minho goes with Jisung when he does his soulmate-less research, though Jisung knows he’s not interested. Minho doesn’t want to know why he’s soulmate-less, he just wants to live.

Jisung wishes he was more like Minho.

“Hm?” Minho replies, still playing with Jisung’s hair with one hand and looking at his phone on the other. They’re on Minho’s couch, Jisung’s head resting on Minho’s chest. You know, platonically. 

“My friends wanna meet you,” he pauses, sitting up next to Minho. Minho looks from his phone to look at Jisung, “but I know they’re going to be really annoying and make jokes about how you’re my boyfriend, so if you don’t want to go that’s fine.”

Minho chuckled at him, “I wanna go. I wanna meet your friends, and you know, keep you company since you seem the only one there who isn’t ‘boo’d up’.” He says, laughing when Jisung throws the T.V remote at him.

“You know what, nevermind, invitation revoked, you’re not welcome anymore.” He said, crossing his arms and pouting.

“Sung,” Minho chuckles, “Jisung, you look like a little kid.” Jisung let out an irritated ‘hmf’ sound that only made him seem more like a kid. Minho laughed and Jisung turned his back to Minho.

“Why are you mad? Is it because I said you don’t have a boo?” Jisung didn’t reply, but what Minho couldn’t see the little smile he had on his lips. Minho then took his two fingers to surprise Jisung and poke his sides. To which Jisung jumped in surprise.

“Oh my God, why would you do that?! I almost got a heart attack.” Jisung said, sounding out of breath and holding his chest. Minho laughed at him, throwing his phone to the carpet floor because he knew what was coming.

“Two can play that game.” Jisung then launched himself forward and began to tickle Minho. He began to kick and try pushing Jisung off, but there was only so much space on the couch. Jisung pushed Minho so he had his back on the couch, Jisung hovering above. He was poking at his sides and tickling, then he would move to his neck and tickle there.

Minho was laughing so hard he started crying, yelling out to Jisung to stop, who had an evil smile on. No matter all the kicking Minho did, Jisung remained on top of him, tickling at him.

“Jisung! Oh my God, Sung, please stop! I can’t breathe!” He yelled between yells. Jisung stopped and began to laugh too.

When he stopped, they realized Jisung was still on top of Minho, the only thing supporting him were his hands on the couch.

They stayed like that for a little, just staring at each other’s eyes. The once playful atmosphere turned serious. Then suddenly, Jisung jumped out of the couch, put his shoes on and was on his way to the door.

“Well! It’s really late so I should go home now! I’ll see you tomorrow! Meet me and the other boys at the coffee shop by the school, i’ll send you the address!” He said, opening the door.

“I can take you home, I don’t want you to walk in the dark.” Minho said, voice serious and different from the one that was laughing earlier.

“No! It’s okay,” he laughed nervously, “I’ll text you when I get home. Bye Minho!”

Then the door was closed and Jisung was gone. Minho was left, on his couch alone, the movie they rented rolling the credits in the back.

 

 

Jisung ran home, being deadly afraid of being alone in the street at night. He’s so stupid, he should’ve just let Minho take him home. He doesn’t live too far, only about five blocks, but it’s still too much to walk in the dark. He’s scared, but he had to leave.

If he stayed looking at Minho like that for one more second, he might’ve of made a mistake. He needs to be careful, if he slips, Minho could hate him. He doesn’t want Minho to ever hate him.

 ** _To: minmin_**  
_I got home safely! Thank you for renting the movie! Goodnight ;D_

_From: minmin_

_No worries. Night_

Jisung hugged his phone, his heart still beating in his chest, though he’s not so sure if it’s from running.

-

“So he is coming?” Seungmin asked.

They had all gotten to know each other now, and they all became very great friends. Felix was happy with Seungmin, he smiled at him and he was happy. Though at first, it left a sour taste in Jisung’s mouth, he realized he asked Felix to be happy, and he is. He just wants the best for his best friend. And plus, Seungmin and Jisung became close quite quick too.

“Yeah, I texted him the address this morning.” He said, his leg shaking under the table.

“You seem really nervous, calm down Jisung, I’m sure we’ll get along fine.” Changbin assured him. “I’m not nervous though!”

“I can see your leg shaking from the entrance, don’t lie to your friends like that.” Jisung looked up to see the one and only Lee Minho.

“Oh! You’re Minho, right? Here, take a seat next to Jisung.” Chan said, scooting his chair and then pulling another one next to Jisung.

Jisung is fine, Minho is on his left, Felix is on his right. He’s fine.

“You look really good today, Jisung.” That was his left.

Yeah, he’s not okay.

The boys pretend to not have heard that, but he sees Woojin eyeing him slightly with a small smile. “Just today? So I look bad every other day?” He teases.

“You know, just cause of that, I’m never complimenting you again.” Minho said, laughing when Jisung’s jaw drops a little.

“Damn Jisung, he’s putting you in your place.”

“Shut up you little gremlin” He smiled at Jeongin, who stuck his tongue out at him.

Maybe this won’t be too bad.

 

The whole day, they all talked about the things they liked. Minho found out Hyunjin liked to dance and they decided to find a day to go dance together. Seungmin mentioned that Felix was interested in trying urban dance and so they invited him to go along. Woojin found out Seungmin sings and he invited him to a Coin Karaoke with him and Jeongin. Everybody was getting along. That made Jisung happy.

Very happy.

It was now late and getting dark out. The boys started to say their goodbyes one by one. First Jeongin, Hyunjin and Changbin left, then Chan and Woojin, leaving Jisung and Minho with Felix and Seungmin.

“Minho, I, as Jisung's best friend, approve of you to date my precious Sungie.” He teased, Seungmin laughing behind him.

Minho remained a calm expression, though his ears were red and Jisung ran up to Felix and hit him on the shoulder.

“Lix! You can’t say stuff like that!”

“Thank you, I’ll take care of him.”

They all turned around to look at Minho, all three boys with a shocked expression.

“I promise I’ll take good care of Sungie.” He said, looking down at Jisung and giving him a sweet smile.

Minho has never called Jisung Sungie. Only Sung, Jisung and sometimes Ji. Never Sungie. He had smiled at him many times, but never the way he was right now. His eyes were soft, they were inviting and the smile he wore on his lips was one he had never seen before either.

“Thank you.” Felix said, smiling back at Minho, then holding Seungmin’s hand to walk him outside of the cafe.

Jisung was staring at Minho with awe struck eyes. His mouth agape and and he could swear he wasn’t blinking. Minho just looked at him, laughed, then grabbed his arm.

“Let’s go. Are you staying the night tonight?” He asked, his arms linked with Jisungs. Jisung just nodded, unable to form any verbal words.

They’ve spent nights together before, but it was different tonight. Jisung could hear the heart on his chest beating faster than it ever had. Minho was there, on Jisung’s bed, Jisung on his bean bag. Jisung didn’t know what to say, how to initiate a conversation, so he decided to put on a movie. “What do you want to watch tonight?”

“I don’t know, what do you have?” Minho said, looking at Jisung from the bed. “Come look, it’ll take too much time to name them all.” He said motioning him with his hand to come next to him. “That’s too far,” Minho groaned.

“Get your lazy ass off my bed and come choose a movie with me,” Jisung said, laughing a little.

“Make me!” Minho said, then he winked at Jisung and licked his lips dramatically, puckering them up after. They burst out laughing at this, the atmosphere became comfortable again.

Minho did eventually get up to go choose a movie with Jisung. They chose Toy Story 3. They were quietly making comment throughout the movie, complaining about how stupid some of the characters were and laughing.

  
“Alright, are you ready to go to bed or do you want to do something else?” Minho asked, but then he heard little sniffling coming from his chest. Jisung was crying. Of course Jisung was crying, he’s so soft hearted. Minho smiled to himself.

“Jisung, it’s okay! I heard there’s gonna be a part 4.” But the sniffling didn’t stop. Minho sat up right which made Jisung move to sit up right, too. Minho doesn’t think he’s crying about the movie anymore.

“Jisung, what’s wrong?” He said, trying to look at him in the eyes. Jisung kept turning his head to where Minho couldn’t see. Minho put his hand to Jisung’s cheek, moving his head to look at him. The tears were flowing out of Jisung’s eyes and now, Minho was worried.

“Sungie, what’s wrong?” He spoke slowly and softly. Jisung smiled, looking at Minho while continuing to cry.

“Minho, I like you.” He said, then he smiled bigger, he smiled as he sobbed. Minho grabbed him by the neck and pulled him into a hug. He grabbed him tightly against his chest, resting his chin on Jisung’s head as he cried.

“Jisung, it’s okay for you to like me. You deserve to love too.” He said while petting Jisungs head softly.

“If you don’t feel the same, I’m sorry.” Minho then grabbed Jisungs shoulders, pushed him back slightly and looked at him in the eyes, the only light being the light from the T.V.

“Jisung, I hated the idea of soulmates. For a long time, I thought I wasn’t made to love. No one loved me, I didn’t love no one. The only thing I ever loved was my cats and dance. I didn’t want to hear about soulmates or what they were. Then I met you, in that library. I had never met anybody who cared about people like me. I really thought you were joking when you said you were unmarked.” He sighed, “when I found out you weren’t, I was in such shock. I thought I was the only one, never did I ever think I would meet somebody else. Not here, at least. You taught me what it was like to love. From that night on, you became my best friend, then you allowed me to meet yours.” He kept looking at Jisung directly in the eyes, the younger boy still crying, “you’re right, I don’t like you. In fact,” he took a deep breath in.

  
“I think I fell in love with you and that stupid smile of yours.”

Minho smiled at him, a small smile, with a singular tear falling out of his eye. Jisung then grabbed Minho’s hands and put them at their side. He put his arms around Minho’s head, and pulled him in. The kiss was short, it was sweet, but it meant everything to Jisung.

It meant everything to Minho too.

They pulled away, their foreheads touching as Jisung said in a low voice, “I thought I didn’t deserve to be loved, I thought I would never love or be loved rightfully. After Felix, I thought I was never going to be able to find anybody else. You taught me that I was wrong.” He smiled wide, “you taught me, the universe doesn’t make mistakes.”

That night, the sleepover was different. Minho slept with his arms around Jisung’s waist (his legs over his hip, too). Jisung hearing Minho’s quick heart beat as he fell asleep.

The morning after, the book in his shelf had the word “unlucky” crossed out and the word “lucky” written on top of it.

-

**_To: yongbok-ie ♡_ **

 

_Hey. so does seungmin open his oreos, lick the filling and then eat the cookie? ;p_

 

_From: yongbok-ie ♡_

_… yes_

**Author's Note:**

> IM SORRY IF THE ENDING SEEMED RUSHED ;;; I'm still learning how to end things without rushing them and it's hard ;-; Hopefully it wasn't too bad. If you liked this au, please give it kudos and leave a comment of what you liked or even didn't like! I would love to get some feedback.


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